A set of Tollywood producers on Monday raised their voice against the arbitrary wage increase demands made by the employees' film federation recently. The federation, whose demands have been described as unjust by many, want a 30% wage hike. The "Rising Producers" of Telugu cinema today spoke out against them, with some speakers highlighting specific issues.
Producer Razesh Danda of Samajavaragamana fame said that small-scale producers can't afford wage hikes. He indirectly indicated that fraud takes place in the industry. "Out of 150 junior artists on paper, barely 50 show up on set. Where is the money going?" he asked. The producer implied that the shoot of his film K-Ramp, which is scheduled to be released for Diwali, had to be halted due to the strike, putting its Diwali release in doubt.
Producer Madhura Sreedhar Reddy spoke of how unions take producers for a ride. Even for tiny scenes involving just a couple of artists, the makers are forced to "hire makeup, costumes, and production staff, totally 80 people". The same work for small scenes can be accomplished by just six individuals, he added.
Producer Chaitanya Reddy of HanuMan fame stated that no producer has made a profit of more than Rs 10 Cr since the pandemic. "The situation is really bad. I am ready to show you my books. We produce films purely out of passion. At a time when the entire economy is weak, at a time when salaries are being slashed in many sectors, this demand for a wage hike is unwarranted," she added.
Producer Vamsi Nandipati said that production costs have gone up exponentially. "What could be done in just a couple of crores takes Rs 8-10 Cr," he said. Producer Dheeraj Mogilineni that unions force producers to splurge precious little resources. Even when a large strength is not required, about 100-150 workers are made to be hired, he added. Producer Rakesh Varre said that one of his films has cost him Rs 8 Cr. "Small films are not able to recover their monies from non-theatrical sources," he added.
Producer Sharath from Chai Bisket said that unfair union rules are against the interests of small producers. He suggested that a cooperative arrangement has to be put in place.
Producer SKN voiced the struggles of small-scale producers, stating that they make up 90% of the industry but lack power. The Baby producer criticized the proposed 30% wage hike, questioning how small films could afford it when they struggle to recover investments and don't benefit from higher ticket prices or the "pan-India film" trend. He lamented that an agreement for a 25% wage cut for small films was not being enforced, causing all productions to be treated the same. SKN highlighted the financial burden on small producers, who often go home with "empty pockets" despite their efforts. He praised actors like Kiran Abbavaram for supporting small films by understanding their financial situations, and pointed out that such actors are rare. He concluded by asking the Telugu state governments to look into the problems of small producers, emphasizing the need for collective, not selfish, thinking, and for unions to support producers.
